Really cool (and somewhat freighting) work on Gen AI use and highschool performance in China. Homework Scores rocket up, time spend doing homework collapses, then predictably exam scores are way down. Results show bimodal response ~75% see scores drop, the other 20-25% keep doing the work.

If we want learners to thrive, teachers need to give them less freedom in the classroom, according to evidence gathered by science writer David Epstein

New post out: "The gap that never closes" I've spent much of my career trying to reduce the rich/poor gap in education. Nothing's worked. Which has led me to the conclusion that we're thinking about inequality the wrong way... (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...

This means SEND data can be misleading, in that very often you are comparing apples with pears. Also, some schools game the system and inaccurately categorise some children with SEND if they know their attainment will be strong. All this leads to inaccurate judgements.

NEW CURIOS Free section discusses research into teaching resilience. fillingthepail.substack.com/p/curios-of-...

Ben’s busy and left us to play. Best songs to sing along with friends: 1. Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody 2. Wonderwall, Oasis 3. R.E.S.P.E.C.T., Aretha Franklin 4. Islands In The Stream, Dolly & Kenny 5. Waterloo, ABBA #fridayfive

They discussed how the current approach to school admissions is contributing to social selection in our state comprehensives, and the steps we should be taking to tackle this issue. 🎤 Listen to the episode: insideyoured.buzzsprout.com/1874905/epis...

We know teachers vary in quality but teacher effectiveness isn’t an unvarying trait that can be plugged into to another school changed. Great teaching needs schools to nurture it. Importing expertise may create a possibility but it isn’t sustainable open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...

“Every child deserves to feel seen, valued, supported, and empowered to succeed. Every child deserves to know that they matter” #Inclusion #SEND pgs-educators.co.uk/index.php/20...

New post: High expectations, high support on the great work of Charlotte Bunyan and colleagues @theeducakers.bsky.social substack.com/@marymyatt/n...

Schools haven’t changed all that much in 4000 years. In this post I argue that’s a good thing. I discuss evolution, evolutionary psychology, culture and make the claim that schools are the first — and most important — educational technology. open.substack.com/pub/daviddid...

New post! ● Direct Instruction’s Limits: ⇒ A Nuanced Look at Engelmann’s Ideas #EduSky #UKEd christianmooreanderson.com/direct-instr...

Top five favorite sporting moments. 1. Rudisha delivers on all expectations in 2012 in a 800m final in which everyone runs a PB. 2. Ivanisevic wins Wimbledon as a wildcard in 2001. 3. The Lionesses being football home in 2022. 4. Derek Redmond. 5. Cathy Freeman unites Australia in 2000.

No Bridget Phillipson - this has absolutely nothing to do with snobbery. It has everything to do with the fact that no-one has the faintest idea why the DfE thought this stunt would be helpful. For anyone. Me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/posts/tdrich...

The DfE needs to monitor the distribution of pupils with SEND across schools because some are facing ‘unsustainable’ pressure while others are not developing their inclusive practice, says @thenfer.bsky.social research

Great teaching is built through daily habits, not big initiatives. Embedding Formative Assessment helps refine questioning, feedback and student ownership. Book a support call: https://outlook.office365.com/book/SSATEmbeddingFormativeAssessment@ssatuk.co.uk/ #education

✍️ "The attainment gap is cause by a variety of factors in the home and at schools – many made worse by the Covid pandemic and cost of living crises. Poverty undeniably plays a major role." Learn more about the attainment gap in our breakdown ⤵️

A pleasure to run this webinar, "Developing a Metacognitive Curriculum", for LLSE tonight! Developing a curriculum that deepens and advances student metacognitive skills is paramount - but precisely how to do this? Less obvious!

You feel guilty having a sick day, you feel guilty if you can’t help a student at lunchtime, you feel guilty about how you’ve taught a lesson – can you overcome it? Gavin Simpson explains how to handle ‘guilt’ as a teacher

The inimitable @carlhendrick.substack.com takes a measured look at short-form video as a learning tool, giving a fair shake to its potential advantages (ex. motivating learners about a new topics). Still, it’s primarily a cautionary signal. This section, whew. substack.com/home/post/p-...

Most leadership teams aren’t short on effort—they’re stuck in the wrong mode. R-Mode = reacting, responding, running the school I-Mode = slowing down to think and improve it Even 5–10% of protected I-Mode can change everything. Read more 👉 buff.ly/UDo80B7 #EducationalLeadership #SchoolImprovement

Mathematical misconceptions are numerous and commonplace, so how should we look to minimise them in our classrooms? The REACT planning framework can help educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/news/eef-blo...

Episodic memory is often dismissed, but it can be a powerful lever for deeper learning. From trips to role-play, meaningful experiences can boost semantic recall. @jonesedu.bsky.social outlines some techniques for how #teachers can use it well: buff.ly/GjHCPrM #teaching #schools #edusky

*** NEW POST *** The phrase knowledge-rich gets thrown about by its detractors and supposed supporters alike, but what does it actually mean and where does the confusion lie? open.substack.com/pub/enserm/p...

A personal piece. Go gently with one another. You never know what someone is carrying. watermanlearning.wordpress.com/2026/04/28/g...

What’s the impact of student grouping? Today we’re pleased to publish new research with @ucl.ac.uk @ioe.bsky.social comparing pupils’ attainment in maths classes grouped by attainment and mixed-attainment classes. Explore the report: tinyurl.com/3rbmrfdk

Everyone has a comparatively obscure band they can't believe aren't more well known. Mine is Amanda Platt and the Honeycutters. What's yours?

Grades are just lines drawn on a continuous distribution & can end up distorting things. In this example, Paul is graded as being at the expected standard despite being approx 2 yrs below average & having more in common with students in the lower grade. substack.nomoremarking.com/p/why-grades...

People are often surprised by this, but I really really don't like grades. I think they encourage a (flawed) skills-based way of thinking about education. More here, including alternatives. substack.nomoremarking.com/p/why-grades...

The primary school grading system in England has three grades. About 60% of students get the middle grade. So that means a student working at the Y4 standard, and one working at the Y8 standard are both told they are at the expected standard for Year 6. substack.nomoremarking.com/p/why-grades...

schoolsweek.co.uk/high-achievi... Ladders and ceilings .

Do Students Today Have Reduced Attention Spans? In this American Educator article, I argue they don't. (This piece is mostly a reprint of the one I published last year in Education Next.) www.aft.org/ae/spring202...

If you have ever taught biology, it is obvious that this explanatory model building approach is so much better than just teaching the facts, descriptions and explanations. youtu.be/Ux2-Y_6IryM?...

Super thrilled that my article "Prosody" is now available to read in the Open Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science! oecs.mit.edu/pub/1w4cqquc... Thanks to @asifamajid.bsky.social and @mcxfrank.bsky.social for the opportunity and for creating such an amazing resource for our community!

*NEW* Being on the receiving end of feedback has left me feeling flat, despite doing well. It made me think how we focus on the theory & rules around giving pupil feedback, but how often do we consider how it lands? #feedback #EduSky #EduBlogShare impressionthatiget.wordpress.com/2026/04/03/t...

I've just set up a couple of 'pay what you can' online events for next term. The Ultimate Guide to Adaptive Teaching is on 28th April at 4.30pm and you can book tickets here. ⬇️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1985806308...

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We know questioning is one of the most powerful ways to activate student thinking but it’s not always easy to improve it in a busy school week. That’s why we’re running the Great Teaching Questioning Challenge. It’s free to participate and applications close on 17th April buff.ly/K9rpFG1 #EduSky

As ever standing on the shoulders of giants like @douglemov.bsky.social & @adamboxereducation.bsky.social, I share some specifics about how teachers can be as clear as possible in their expectations of their pupils. open.substack.com/pub/ldonaghy...

Why are fewer students choosing drama in schools? Because we haven’t explained the real value of the subject, says teacher Hetty Steele

Teachers can reduce impostor syndrome by: 🧠 normalising struggle 💬 changing feedback language 🎯 focusing on process over talent Learn how ➡️ https://www.innerdrive.co.uk/workshops/dealing-with-impostor-syndrome/

New from me Things Can Get Worse. Why I'm so worried about the SEND reform direction of travel. bennewmark.wordpress.com/2026/03/26/t...

Ancient wisdom or modern pedagogy? How the Buddha advocated retrieval practice, spacing and interleaving, predating cognitive science. #education #cog_sci #edusky #uked #Buddhism #Buddha mrjoneswhiteboard.blog/2026/03/21/b...

#EduSky #EruditePedagogy I have not spent a lot of time thinking about this yet, but recently put together this matrix and I'm curious what others think. As you can tell from the descriptors, I think effective teaching & learning happens in Quadrant D, but... (1/2)

Students perform how we expect them to 🎭 The Pygmalion Effect shows that teacher expectations shape outcomes more than many realise. https://www.innerdrive.co.uk/blog/the-pygmalion-effect/

The first follow up in my ‘Good for all, vital for some’ series on clarity of expectations in the classroom. This one is about how to get a class silent. open.substack.com/pub/ldonaghy...

Post: ● The pros of teaching without powerpoint If teaching is transmission, the presentation is a vital tool. If, we see it as conversing to coordinate the meaning of content, then PowerPoint sits in the way of interaction between teachers and students. christianmooreanderson.com/pros-of-teac...

If inclusion means doing what we have good evidence for all children better with the most vulnerable kids this will work. If it means mainstreaming common adaptations for supposedly "different" children we have little evidence for it will be a disaster. I am very nervous about the direction.

I spend a lot of time working with schools and MATs to quality assure and improve geography. One question always sits underneath: what do we actually mean by the impact of the geography curriculum? In this post I try to make my thinking visible. open.substack.com/pub/enserm/p... #GeogChat

New studies on retrieval practice, seductive details, engagement myths, reading instruction, and the cognitive costs of modern technology. open.substack.com/pub/carlhend...